The present invention relates to hygiene products, and more particularly to disposable sanitary seat covers, and methods for making and using the same.
A recent study by the University of Arizona concluded that shopping carts are among the most contaminated objects with which consumers regularly come into contact. Infants, toddlers, and small children often accompany their parents on shopping trips. Frequently, children are restrained in the child seat of a shopping cart, thereby bringing the children into contact with the contaminated surface of the shopping cart. It would be desirable to limit the child""s contact with the shopping cart to reduce the likelihood of illness or disease that may result from contact with the contaminated surface of the shopping cart.
In that regard, child seat covers are known in the art. By way of example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,678,888, 6,129,417, 6,237,998, and U.S. Design Pat. No. 423,176 describe various shopping cart seat covers. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,606, 6,065,655, and 6,129,418 describe cushions for shopping carts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,412 and 5,829,835 describe diaper bags that convert into shopping cart seat covers. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,641,200, 5,791,732, 5,810,437, 5,848,797, 6,036,264, 6,164,721, and 6,224,152 describe various embodiment of seats adapted to be used in or with shopping carts.
While each of the devices described in the aforementioned patents may be effective, at least initially, the devices suffer from a number of drawbacks. Each of the devices is a multi-use device. Each time the device contacts a contaminated surface, the sanitary effectiveness of the device is reduced. Ultimately, the device may become as contaminated as the shopping cart surface, rendering the device ineffective. In addition, many of the devices include structural components that make the devices large, bulky, and difficult to transport. Further, routine wear and tear causes the quality of the product to degrade over time.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a disposable sanitary seat cover that provides a barrier to the transmission of contaminants between the seat and users of the seat. In addition, because the disposable sanitary seat cover is replaced each time a new child uses the seat, it would be a further benefit to advertisers to have a removable coupon attached to the sanitary seat cover.
To address these and other needs, the present invention provides a disposable sanitary seat cover readily adapted for use with public seat facilities for children, such as child seats in shopping carts or high chairs in restaurants. The present invention also provides methods for making disposable sanitary seat covers and structures for assembling a plurality of disposable seat covers into a pre-packaged, dispensable pack. Further, the present invention provides a dispenser that may be mounted on a wall or other suitable structure. In one embodiment, a consumer may remove a seat cover from the dispenser and apply the seat cover to the public seating facility prior to placing the child into the seat. The seat cover reduces contact between the child and the seat, thereby reducing the likelihood that the child will be exposed to any contaminants on the seat. After use, the seat cover may be removed and discarded.
In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a disposable sanitary seat cover comprising a first sheet of material having a front side and a back side, the sheet defining a seat portion; and an adhesive strip secured to back side of the material.
In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-packaged, dispensable set of disposable seat covers, comprising a plurality of disposable seat covers, wherein each disposable sanitary seat cover comprises a first sheet of material having a front side and a back side, the sheet defining a seat portion and means for securing the seat portion to a seat. The plurality of disposable seat covers define a continuous web of material having a length extending along a longitudinal axis. The continuous web of material may be wound around a central axis to form a roll, and adjacent seat covers may be separated by a perforated section to facilitate removal of the sanitary seat cover from the web of material.
In another exemplary embodiment, the present invention provides a pre-packaged, dispensable set of disposable seat covers comprising a plurality of disposable seat covers, wherein each disposable sanitary seat cover comprises a first sheet of material having a front side and a back side, the sheet defining a seat portion and means for securing the seat portion to a seat. The plurality of disposable seat covers may be placed adjacent one another in a stack.
In yet another exemplary embodiment, the invention provides a system for dispensing disposable sanitary seat covers. The system comprises a dispenser including a housing defining an interior chamber and at least one passage in a wall of the housing, and a pre-packaged set of disposable seat covers disposed in the interior chamber of the housing, wherein a disposable seat cover may be removed through the at least one passage in the wall of the housing.